I'm mulling around some ideas for the next campaign. Here are the basics of it so far, with some questions I'm pondering below ...
Some clerics, paladins, avengers, and invokers forgo standard training and instead choose to specialize their training specifically to the areas of interest of their patron - these specialized few are the devoted. Presented below are alternate class features to specialize your cleric or paladin based on the areas of interest for your patron.
The choice to specialize choice must be made when selecting the paladin or cleric class at 1st level and remains throughout the life of the character. Characters must select the devoted feature that matches his patron.
Clerics who choose to specialize lose access to the default channel divinity powers of their class, and also lose access to the Healer's Lore class feature.
Paladins who choose to specialize lose access to the default channel divinity powers of their class, and also have 2 fewer healing surges per day.
Avengers who choose to specialize lose access to the default channel divinity powers of their class, and also ....
Invokers who choose to specialize lose access to the default channel divinity powers of their class, and also ...
Devoted Arcanist (Corellon)
The church you studied at placed a heavy emphasis on arcane knowledge.
Once per day can use prestidigitation (see wizard cantrip). Your divine implement can be used as an implement for any arcane powers that you know. Once per day you can use your Wisdom modifier as a power bonus to an attack roll that you know with the arcane power source.
At 1st level and every 5 levels you gain a bonus ritual of your choice that has the arcana or religion key skill. Bonus rituals must be equal to or lower than your level at the time of choosing.
You can get a multiclass for one arcane powered class without it counting towards your limit of one multiclass.
You gain the Channel Divinity: Corellon's Grace.
Devoted Brawler (Kord)
More often than not, your time at the church was spent arm wrestling or in other displays of physical skill - and you liked it.
You gain Skill Training (Athletics) as a bonus feat.
When your hands magic item slot is empty, your unarmed attack counts as a melee weapon with a +2 proficiency bonus and 1d8 base weapon damage. Every five levels, your unarmed attack gains a +1 enhancement bonus to attack and damage.
At 11th level, this unarmed base damage increases to 1d10. At 21st level, this unarmed base damage increases to 1d12.
You gain the Channel Divinity: Kord's Favor.
Devoted Craftsman (Moradin)
You would sit for long hours at the forge while studying. Reciting prayers as you swing your hammer is second nature to you now.
By spending an hour to attune yourself to a specific hammer or mace type weapon, you can use it as your Holy Symbol implement. When used as an implement, you do not gain the weapon's proficiency bonus to the implement attack roll. You can also apply your attuned weapon's enhancement bonus to any skill checks made for rituals. If the ritual is of the creation type, you add twice your attuned weapon's enhancement bonus.
You can only attune yourself to one specific weapon at a time, but you can change attuned weapons by spending the requisite hour of meditation.
You gain the Channel Divinity: Moradin's Resolve.
Devoted Diplomat (Erathis)
You are familiar with the city and its people, and specially trained to interact with them.
If you are trained in both Diplomacy and History, you gain Skill Focus (Diplomacy) and Skill Focus (History) as bonus feats.
Once per day you gain a +2d6 bonus to a Diplomacy check. You can see the total before deciding whether or not to add this bonus.
You gain the Channel Divinity: Harmony of Erathis.
Devoted Fatespinner (Raven Queen)
From your philosophical readings you understand enough to guide your own fate.
You gain Skill Focus (Religion).
Once per day, as an immediate interrupt when you or an ally within 5 squares takes damage that would reduce the target to 0 or fewer hit points, the target can use a healing surge before applying the attack's damage.
You gain the Channel Divinity: Raven Queen's Blessing.
Devoted Protector (Bahamut)
Your teachers stressed lessons on how to protect and serve.
You gain +1 to Fortitude and Will defenses when you are adjacent to at least one ally. Also, whenever you use the aid another action to grant a bonus to the defense of an ally, the defense bonus you grant increases by an amount equal to 1 + the enhancement bonus of your weapon.
You gain the Channel Divinity: Armor of Bahamut.
Devoted Scholar (Ioun)
You find comfort in the temple libraries.
You gain a bonus to Arcana and History checks equal to your Wisdom modifier.
When you successfully aid another in the use of Arcana, History, or Religion you add 1 + your Intelligence modifier to the bonus you grant from your skill aid.
When you cast rituals from your own ritual book, the casting time is reduced by half as if you were casting from a ritual scroll.
You gain the Channel Divinity: Ioun's Poise.
Cleric, Invoker: You know a bonus ritual at 1st level and every 3 levels. Bonus rituals must be equal to or lower than your level at the time of choosing.
Paladin, Avenger: You gain Ritual Caster as a bonus feat and start with a ritual book containing one 1st level ritual of your choice.
Devoted Scorcher (Pelor)
Your church has given you excessive lessons on radiant fires.
You gain Skill Focus (Religion) and Astral Fire as bonus feats.
You gain a +1 power bonus to attack when using a power with the fire or radiant keyword.
You gain the Channel Divinity: Pelor's Radiance.
Devoted Traveler (Avandra)
Your faith keeps you on the go, socializing and on the road.
You gain Skill Training (Streetwise) and Linguist as bonus feats.
You gain the Channel Divinity: Avandra's Rescue.
Devoted Trickster (Sehanine)
You have learned to tap in the mind and twist it to your whim.
You gain Skill Training (Bluff).
Whenever you use a power with the Charm, Fear, Illusion, Psychic, or Sleep keywords, you can either gain a +2 power bonus to the attack roll or your targets take a -1 penalty to any save against that power.
You gain the Channel Divinity: Sehanine's Reversal.
Devoted Wanderer (Melora)
You find solace in the freedom of the open terrain.
You gain Skill Training (Nature).
After each extended rest, you are under the effects of the endure elements ritual as if you cast it on yourself. If some effect disables this ritual effect, it restarts after your next extended rest.
When you cast rituals that have the Nature key skill, the component cost requirement is decreased by 5gp per your level.
You gain the Channel Divinity: Melora's Tide.
1. I fully admit that I only looked at PHB1 when I started this, so some tweaking will be necessary to be more inclusive of the Avenger and Invoker (such as assumptions I made about class skill list available, etc).
2. I also fully admit that this really was a "off the top of my head" type thing and I have not fully thought out all the balance issues yet - so a couple of these may be a bit too out and there or too conservative.
3. Is the general concept appealing? Or should I make each of these specializations different per class (in addition to being different per god - i.e. I'd have 4 alternate class features, one for each of the four classes, for each of the gods).
4. If you were a divine class PC, would you _want_ to specialize? Or is this all really just a waste of time to offer as an option and it would just complicate things? (Though I am not going to 'force' a divine PC to specialize, I just thought the option to do so would be good).
5. Any of these jump out as completely "off" (either too strong or too weak)?
6. Any comments in general?
Edit: Arg! I can't get paragraph indenting-type formatting to work here, it's just flushing everything left, ignoring the spacing .. so, apologies for the weird spacing.
Some clerics, paladins, avengers, and invokers forgo standard training and instead choose to specialize their training specifically to the areas of interest of their patron - these specialized few are the devoted. Presented below are alternate class features to specialize your cleric or paladin based on the areas of interest for your patron.
The choice to specialize choice must be made when selecting the paladin or cleric class at 1st level and remains throughout the life of the character. Characters must select the devoted feature that matches his patron.
Clerics who choose to specialize lose access to the default channel divinity powers of their class, and also lose access to the Healer's Lore class feature.
Paladins who choose to specialize lose access to the default channel divinity powers of their class, and also have 2 fewer healing surges per day.
Avengers who choose to specialize lose access to the default channel divinity powers of their class, and also ....
Invokers who choose to specialize lose access to the default channel divinity powers of their class, and also ...
Devoted Arcanist (Corellon)
The church you studied at placed a heavy emphasis on arcane knowledge.
Once per day can use prestidigitation (see wizard cantrip). Your divine implement can be used as an implement for any arcane powers that you know. Once per day you can use your Wisdom modifier as a power bonus to an attack roll that you know with the arcane power source.
At 1st level and every 5 levels you gain a bonus ritual of your choice that has the arcana or religion key skill. Bonus rituals must be equal to or lower than your level at the time of choosing.
You can get a multiclass for one arcane powered class without it counting towards your limit of one multiclass.
You gain the Channel Divinity: Corellon's Grace.
Devoted Brawler (Kord)
More often than not, your time at the church was spent arm wrestling or in other displays of physical skill - and you liked it.
You gain Skill Training (Athletics) as a bonus feat.
When your hands magic item slot is empty, your unarmed attack counts as a melee weapon with a +2 proficiency bonus and 1d8 base weapon damage. Every five levels, your unarmed attack gains a +1 enhancement bonus to attack and damage.
At 11th level, this unarmed base damage increases to 1d10. At 21st level, this unarmed base damage increases to 1d12.
You gain the Channel Divinity: Kord's Favor.
Devoted Craftsman (Moradin)
You would sit for long hours at the forge while studying. Reciting prayers as you swing your hammer is second nature to you now.
By spending an hour to attune yourself to a specific hammer or mace type weapon, you can use it as your Holy Symbol implement. When used as an implement, you do not gain the weapon's proficiency bonus to the implement attack roll. You can also apply your attuned weapon's enhancement bonus to any skill checks made for rituals. If the ritual is of the creation type, you add twice your attuned weapon's enhancement bonus.
You can only attune yourself to one specific weapon at a time, but you can change attuned weapons by spending the requisite hour of meditation.
You gain the Channel Divinity: Moradin's Resolve.
Devoted Diplomat (Erathis)
You are familiar with the city and its people, and specially trained to interact with them.
If you are trained in both Diplomacy and History, you gain Skill Focus (Diplomacy) and Skill Focus (History) as bonus feats.
Once per day you gain a +2d6 bonus to a Diplomacy check. You can see the total before deciding whether or not to add this bonus.
You gain the Channel Divinity: Harmony of Erathis.
Devoted Fatespinner (Raven Queen)
From your philosophical readings you understand enough to guide your own fate.
You gain Skill Focus (Religion).
Once per day, as an immediate interrupt when you or an ally within 5 squares takes damage that would reduce the target to 0 or fewer hit points, the target can use a healing surge before applying the attack's damage.
You gain the Channel Divinity: Raven Queen's Blessing.
Devoted Protector (Bahamut)
Your teachers stressed lessons on how to protect and serve.
You gain +1 to Fortitude and Will defenses when you are adjacent to at least one ally. Also, whenever you use the aid another action to grant a bonus to the defense of an ally, the defense bonus you grant increases by an amount equal to 1 + the enhancement bonus of your weapon.
You gain the Channel Divinity: Armor of Bahamut.
Devoted Scholar (Ioun)
You find comfort in the temple libraries.
You gain a bonus to Arcana and History checks equal to your Wisdom modifier.
When you successfully aid another in the use of Arcana, History, or Religion you add 1 + your Intelligence modifier to the bonus you grant from your skill aid.
When you cast rituals from your own ritual book, the casting time is reduced by half as if you were casting from a ritual scroll.
You gain the Channel Divinity: Ioun's Poise.
Cleric, Invoker: You know a bonus ritual at 1st level and every 3 levels. Bonus rituals must be equal to or lower than your level at the time of choosing.
Paladin, Avenger: You gain Ritual Caster as a bonus feat and start with a ritual book containing one 1st level ritual of your choice.
Devoted Scorcher (Pelor)
Your church has given you excessive lessons on radiant fires.
You gain Skill Focus (Religion) and Astral Fire as bonus feats.
You gain a +1 power bonus to attack when using a power with the fire or radiant keyword.
You gain the Channel Divinity: Pelor's Radiance.
Devoted Traveler (Avandra)
Your faith keeps you on the go, socializing and on the road.
You gain Skill Training (Streetwise) and Linguist as bonus feats.
You gain the Channel Divinity: Avandra's Rescue.
Devoted Trickster (Sehanine)
You have learned to tap in the mind and twist it to your whim.
You gain Skill Training (Bluff).
Whenever you use a power with the Charm, Fear, Illusion, Psychic, or Sleep keywords, you can either gain a +2 power bonus to the attack roll or your targets take a -1 penalty to any save against that power.
You gain the Channel Divinity: Sehanine's Reversal.
Devoted Wanderer (Melora)
You find solace in the freedom of the open terrain.
You gain Skill Training (Nature).
After each extended rest, you are under the effects of the endure elements ritual as if you cast it on yourself. If some effect disables this ritual effect, it restarts after your next extended rest.
When you cast rituals that have the Nature key skill, the component cost requirement is decreased by 5gp per your level.
You gain the Channel Divinity: Melora's Tide.
1. I fully admit that I only looked at PHB1 when I started this, so some tweaking will be necessary to be more inclusive of the Avenger and Invoker (such as assumptions I made about class skill list available, etc).
2. I also fully admit that this really was a "off the top of my head" type thing and I have not fully thought out all the balance issues yet - so a couple of these may be a bit too out and there or too conservative.
3. Is the general concept appealing? Or should I make each of these specializations different per class (in addition to being different per god - i.e. I'd have 4 alternate class features, one for each of the four classes, for each of the gods).
4. If you were a divine class PC, would you _want_ to specialize? Or is this all really just a waste of time to offer as an option and it would just complicate things? (Though I am not going to 'force' a divine PC to specialize, I just thought the option to do so would be good).
5. Any of these jump out as completely "off" (either too strong or too weak)?
6. Any comments in general?
Edit: Arg! I can't get paragraph indenting-type formatting to work here, it's just flushing everything left, ignoring the spacing .. so, apologies for the weird spacing.
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